NIU Black Alumni Council Newsletter - August 2024

 

A Message From the Council

It’s an exciting week for the NIU Black Alumni Council! It started with NIU students returning to campus and wraps up this weekend with the NIU Football home opener on Saturday and the annual Black Alumni Council Reunion Picnic on Sunday.

After we get together, kick back, and celebrate this weekend, we’ll see you at Homecoming. Check out NIU’s complete homecoming schedule and kickoff the Fanny Ruth Patterson Scholarship Fundraiser

In the meantime, if you’ve got some time to share your support of Black students at NIU, make sure you keep reading to learn more about how you can serve.

- The NIU Black Alumni Council

Support Current Huskies

Check out the following ways you can mentor the next generation of Huskie Graduates:

College of Health and Human Sciences

We know that great health disparities exist – particularly in rural areas and in diverse populations - and that representation matters when it comes to the healthcare providers patients have access to. The College of Health and Human Sciences, with support from the BAC, is looking for you to get involved by supporting Black students during their educational experiences and beyond. We are seeking alumni to speak, support scholarships, host students at their workplace for a visit, an internship or volunteer role, and more. Interested? Complete this short survey or connect with Anthony Gomez.

College of Business Black Alumni Mentoring Program

The NIU College of Business (COB) Black Alumni Mentoring Program (BAMP) seeks to foster meaningful and productive mentorships between alumni and COB students through sharing educational, professional and life experiences. It centers on dual objectives of strengthening alumni relations with the COB, while supporting students on their pathway to achieving educational and professional success as NIU alumni.

To learn more and sign up as a mentor, please fill out this form and we will be in contact if there is a mentoring opportunity for you in the next cycle. Please register with this link even if you have mentored in the past. For questions, please email beccahusar@niu.edu.

Serve as a “Dr. G Mentor” and Make a Difference!

Join us in supporting current Black/African American students through the Dr. LaVerne Gyant Alumni Mentoring Program. As a mentor, you can participate in one-on-one or group mentoring sessions with a commitment of just one meeting per month. Embrace the power of diversity and collaboration – we’re united in this important endeavor!

If you're interested, please complete the mentor interest form by September 6th. For any questions, feel free to email drgmentoring@niu.edu.

Huskie Highlights

Coach Connie Teaberry    Coach Connie Teaberry has more than 100 records, collected more than 20 conference titles, and has coached Team USA throughout her illustrious 21-year tenure as head coach of the NIU Track & Field program. Read more about her impressive career.

Alumnus Spotlight

Rickey Layfield, '13, M.S.Ed. '16,    “NIU saved my life,” said Rickey Layfield, ’13, M.S.Ed. ’16.

After earning two life-changing degrees from NIU, Layfield is paying it forward by returning to his roots to work with Chicago’s youth.

As regional manager for Youth Guidance’s Becoming a Man® program (BAM®), which serves at-risk youth in Chicago through mentorship and counseling, Layfield supervises counselors in approximately 14 different Chicago Public Schools.

Read more ⇨ 

Upcoming Events:

  • NIU Huskie Football Season Kicks Off Saturday, Aug. 31 at 2:30 p.m.
    Make sure to show up in support of Coach Hammock and the NIU Huskie football team this season, starting with their home opener this Saturday against Western Illinois!

     
  • NIU Black Alumni Council Reunion Picnic Sunday, Sept. 1 from Noon-7 p.m. (Dan Ryan Woods - Grove 2; Chicago, Illinois)
    Kick back and relax with your fellow alumni during the NIU Black Alumni Council’s annual picnic. Read more ⇨ 

     
  • NIU Homecoming Oct. 14 - 19
    Come back to NIU for Homecoming! See what has changed during the campus tour and check out Mission’s Grove prior to kickoff against Toledo (TBA).
 







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